


When Only Violence is Left

by teasgaypanic



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora was burned by the portal, Alternate Universe - Adora Remains with the Horde (She-Ra), Alternate Universe - Catra is She-Ra, Angella lives, Bright Moon family, Catra is adopted by Angella and Micah, F/F, F/M, Good Parent Angella (She-Ra), Horde Adora (She-Ra), Micah is never lost, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, and she has scars, magicatra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasgaypanic/pseuds/teasgaypanic
Summary: Adora is She-ra, at least she was supposed to be. She decided that a promise was worth more than a destiny, and she ended up going back to the Horde. After a long road, she finds herself on Horde Prime's ship with Glimmer, and that's where we see our story begin.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 127





	1. One Step in Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> This could go two way... I could either go back and write some of the most important meetings between Catra and Adora through season one through four, or I could continue on to Save the Jock and either have flashback or find a way to explain the most important things that have happened in the past for these two lovebirds. Just know I have tried to keep Adora in character. She still has a hero complex, but as you can see it's different, and either way I go with this could be interesting. Lemme know in the comments!!

Horde Lord Adora sat watching the small girl whimper in her cell on Horde Prime’s ship. She actually felt bad for… what was her name again… Shimmer? No, that didn’t sound right.

Was she still the Lord of the Horde? She didn’t know, and frankly she didn’t care anymore. Of all the things that she had lost in the last few years, this title was one that she could do without. It had only made her nervous about where the next betrayal would come from.

  
Adora ended up taking pity on the girl. While… Glimmer, that's it, wasn’t her favorite person in the universe, she had at least the barest amount of humanity left within her that she could at least try and help the girl. She walked up to the thin green screen that kept her prisoner, and being careful enough not to use her burned arm, she settled down against the wall.

While she ignored the glare that Glimmer was giving her for a few seconds, she ended up getting annoyed and calling out to her.

“Hey Shimmer, I don’t do nice very often so why don’t you come sit your ass down before I decide that I’m bored,” Adora said, letting the self assured smirk that Glimmer was very used to by now, but Adora rarely used. She didn’t have much to feel assured about these days.

“What do you want, Adora?” Glimmer shot back, and Adora wasn’t the least bit shocked at the hard lilt to her tone. Adora had spent the last three years basically trying to either murder or enslave her people, but what would family-happy Glimmer, with her mom, dad, and newly found stepsister understand about the choices that Adora had made in the last few years. 

The answer was absolutely nothing.

“Just come talk to me for a second, I try and do one nice thing and this is the respect that I get, geesh.”

Adora didn’t hear much for a few seconds, but then the soft rustling of clothing and quiet thud against Adora’s back that let her know Glimmer had taken her up on her offer. 

“So… What did you want to talk about?” Glimmer asked, a slight hesitation in her voice. 

“Oh, you know, the normal. How’re you…. doing?” God, Adora was so awkward. The most she spoke on a normal basis was orders to those lower than her, and of course some condescending remarks against the self-proclaimed ‘Best Friend Squad’.

“Lonely, but what would you know about being lonely, all you have to do right now is go see Horde Prime your new hero, and before then you could probably force any of your Horde Lackies to spend time with you,” Glimmer practically yelled back.

This caused a humorless laugh to leave Adora. Was the Glitter princess really trying to explain loneliness to her of all people, really?

“Did you know that when we were younger, Catra and I made a promise to always be there for each other? Probably not, I don’t see your little group talking about me all that much, unless it’s about how to stop me. Well, we did, and while going back to the Horde after our little rendezvous in the woods was one of the hardest things I had ever done, especially after learning about all of the evil things the Horde was doing, I eventually went back for Catra. I despised the Horde, and myself, because of what I was doing, but I didn’t regret it. Not for one second because I had a promise to Catra to uphold. A promise that meant more to me then any mystical sword, and any peasant ever would, but I guess it wasn’t all that important to Catra. Imagine my surprise the next time I woke up to find Catra gone. I was so scared. I thought Shadow Weaver had finally killed her, and that terrified me more than anything else in my life, but no. Catra had her own destiny, and with the sword now a mask and it calling to Catra, I was left picking up the pieces of my heart.”

Adora turned around to see Glimmer not looking at her, but it was no big deal. Adora didn’t really see herself living for much longer, not after all that she had done. Even if the princesses beat Horde Prime, she was still probably going to be killed by one side or the other, and honestly that epiphany had no effect on her. It’s not like she had much to live for much anymore anyways. 

“God, you guys really banged me up there. A lot. I don’t think I ever made it out of a fight without getting hurt in the process, I mean look at me. My arm is almost useless, burned to a crisp by the portal, I have more claw scratches than I can honestly count on my body, but you know what? I have never honestly fucking cared about the pain you guys have caused me, at least not the physical pain. Cause flesh is just flesh, while it might be disfigured, it can be healed most of the time, but the emotional pain, now that’s a different story. It felt like your little band of princesses, no matter what, took someone I cared about. First it was Catra, then Shadow Weaver, who while a fucking lunatic, was still the only mother figure I ever knew, and the person who kept me grounded when Catra left, and last but not least Hordak. I may have become the new Lord of the Horde, but I still don’t think that I’m all that impressive.”

“With each fight, and each battle that we went up against each other, you’re little band of rebels took a little bit more of all that I cared about, and all that meant anything to me in my shit life, and you guys have the audacity to seem surprised when all that I had left was violence.”

Adora heard a deep sigh from Glimmer, and it could’ve been her trying to keep it together, or it honestly just could’ve been her tired of Adora’s pity party.

Again, Adora didn’t care. This was just the last step in her ‘I’m most likely going to die but at least I’ll have done one good thing before then’ plan.

Standing up, she motioned for Glimmer to stand up as well, and making sure that the coast was clear, Adora unlocked the cell door.

  
  


WOVIL

  
  


Catra was standing on the hull of Mara’s ship, trying to locate Horde Prime’s ship in the vast universe, when Bow yelled that they had an incoming signal.

“GLIMMER, IS THAT YOU?” Bow yelled, and Catra thought she felt the ship rock a little bit with how loudly he yelled…

“Yeah Sparkles, that you?” Catra said, making sure to call her step-sister the nickname she had given her day one.

“Yeah yeah, we all love a good family reunion, but you guys need to listen,” now that was not a voice that Catra was expecting to hear, and by the look on Bow’s face he was just as surprised as she was.

“Alright, now that I have surprised you guys enough to be quiet, you’ll need to listen. I am sending you guys coordinates, and Glimmer will be there, but you have to hurry,” there was a loud bang, and Catra could hear Adora relieve a large sigh, “make sure you get there quickly because I don’t know how long she will be able to survive. It’s relatively close…” 

All they heard next was a fight start to break out, and Glimmer yelled Adora’s name. 

After the small brawl seemed over, they heard Adora’s voice again. “Alright, make sure you guys make it to this location, and quickly.” 

Bow started priming up the engine, and they started moving towards the location they were given. They heard banging on a door through the intercom, and Adora relieving another large sigh.

“Adora, come with me,” they heard Glimmer exclaim, but their only answer was a humorless chuckle.

“You know I don’t matter Glimmer, but make sure you guys win.” There was another large bang, and Glimmer screamed.

“Oh shit, I’m sending her out now. MAKE SURE YOU’RE THERE ON TIME!” Adora exclaimed, and they actually could hear the pressing of a button, and then what sounded like an extremely brutal punch.

“Adora…” Catra breathed out, and was immediately interrupted by Adora who sounded like she was fighting.

“CATRA, I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY THAT I WAS NEVER ENOUGH! NEVER ENOUGH, NEVER GOOD ENOUGH, NEVER ENOUGH TO LOVE! I’M SORRY! I’M SO SO SORRY! MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FAMILY SURVIVES, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO ME! MAKE SURE THAT YOU WIN! I BELIEVE IN YOU, I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU!” and then the signal was cut. Bow started to fly the ship towards a bright light up ahead, and it was undeniably Glimmer.

Bow was so focused on getting Glimmer to safety that he didn’t hear Catra’s answer to Adora.

“But as long as we stick together nothing bad can ever happen…” came Catra’s soft reply.

  
  


WOVIL

  
  


Adora was being dragged to Horde Prime, but like most everything else that had happened today, she couldn’t care about what happened to her. She had returned Catra’s family to her, and as long as she had faith in Catra’s ability to win, Adora had nothing else to worry about.

She was ready to die.

“Oh no no no, little sister, this isn’t the end for you” came Horde Prime’s voice.

The last thing that Adora felt was the painful pinch on the back of her neck.


	2. Save the Jock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With plans put into motion, the Best Friends Squad arrives to save Adora. Does Adora want to leave though? Have too many bridges been burned between Catra and Adora?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a new chapter!!!
> 
> Let me know what you think!!

Violence was all that Adora had known the last few years, and even before then it hadn’t been an easy lifestyle in the Horde…

Now all she knew was bliss.

There was no more heartbreak, no more pain, and especially no more Etheria. She no longer had to worry about anything other than doing what Horde Prime deemed necessary.

The clones had even healed much of her useless arm. It still looked burnt and deformed, but she no longer worried about catching it on a corner of the wall and peeling back skin. They couldn’t do much about the claw marks, but there were more important things to be dealt with. Her life was pure bliss now with her brothers.

Right now she was on her way to meet with Horde Prime, he had something that was urgent and he needed her for it to be done well.

And Adora lived to serve. 

  
  


\-----

  
  


Catra had planned on begging, and even pleading if necessary to go and save Adora, but it hadn’t been necessary.

First of all, it had been Sparkles who had first spoken the idea out loud once she was safely on Mara’s Ship, and Bow, being well… Bow had automatically agreed to go and save her. Even Entrapta, while friendly with Adora but hadn’t been there for the worst of it, had agreed that Adora was redeemable and that she needed to be saved. 

Now they just hoped they weren’t too late. They arrived in the hangar of Horde Prime’s ship, and they all had their jobs set out. While Glimmer, Bow, and Entrapta set out to hack Horde Prime and get Adora, Catra set out to buy them sometime. 

Well… that had been the original plan, but while the other three were able to sneak away Catra was taken into the custody of some of the Clones. They said they were taking her to Horde Prime.

That was alright, she was heading that way anyway…

Catra may no longer have the power of She-ra’s mask at her disposal, but she had never been one to need some princess power to kick some ass.

They made the short way to what looked like the main control room, and when Catra finally arrived Horde Prime was there. He had his ports plugged in, and some green gew was oozing it’s way into his body.

‘Well that gross’ Catra thought to herself, but she ended up waiting for him to speak first. Patience was never her strong suit, but she needed to buy time for the others to save Adora.

“Well, hello, small feline creature” Horde Prime exclaimed, and it didn’t take long for Catra’s fur to already feel ruffled. Something did not feel right here.

“You have no idea how surprised I was when I learned that it was some no named creature that held the power of my greatest enemy, especially when it had only been held by one of First One’s blood in the past.” Horde Prime continued, not overly concerned about the ruffling of tail hair that he was causing Catra with each passing second.

“Well, everybody always underestimated me, I’m used to it by now” Catra answered, showing off some extra bravado that she wasn’t necessarily feeling at the moment. 

“Oh, but how wrong you are, Catra” Horde Prime said, “Young Adora always believed in you. You think we haven’t had long discussions since she let that young princess go?”

Catra was no longer feeling insulted, she was straight up pissed now.

“Oh, don’t give me such a look, young hero, I am just telling you what Young Adora never had the ability to. She always believed in you, while she went up in the ranks of my traitorous clones army, she always tried to make sure that you were right there with her. She believed that anything she could do, you could do as well. She only wanted the best for you in the end, no matter the pain and anguish that it caused her, but you already knew that didn’t you? You knew what going back for the sword would eventually lead to, so sad that some people are just not as considerate as Young Adora is when it comes to you. The universe might just be a better place.” Horde Prime went on, and while Catra was still incredibly pissed off, she knew his words rang true. 

Catra had known what it would eventually lead to, but she had also felt a draw to the sword that had later become her mask. Maybe not right away like Adora had, but later that same night when she had left in the middle of the night, and had set off searching for it. There was only so much regret that Catra could feel though, and she planned on spending the rest of her life making it up to Adora when they eventually left this ship.

“Isn’t that right, Little Sister?” Horde Prime asked, and Catra had know idea who he was referring to, but by the sound of footsteps coming from behind her she figured that she was about to figure it out.

She whipped her head around, and what her eyes fell upon almost broke her heart all over again. Adora was walking closer, but Catra didn’t know if she could call who was walking closer to her Adora.

Adora was wearing all white, clothing a lot like the clothes that all of Horde Prime’s clones wear. In the middle of her shirt was Horde Prime’s symbol, and on her feet were all white combat boots.

“Hey Catra,” Adora said, while pulling down the hood that she was wearing. When she did this Catra noticed that they had cut a lot of Adora hair off. It was no longer held up in the signature battle ponytail that Adora usually wore, and instead of it falling to the middle of her back it barely reached her shoulders. The side of her head that had the three claw marks going over her eye had no hair at all, like they had taken a straight razor right to it. She also still had the three scratch marks on her chin that Catra had given to her in the Crimson Waste. The most unsettling thing though, were Adora’s eyes. Gone were the sky blue almost grey that Catra had grown up with, now replaced with a creepy, vibrant green much like everything else on this ship.

“Adora… What have they done to you?” Catra asked, and she felt the first tear Catra could remember crying in a long time spring forth. While she was looking at Adora, the women that she had grown up with and grown to love in front of her, it was hard to see her as anything but any other clone on this ship. Didn’t mean that Catra was going to let her stay that way.

“They have set me free Catra, all I feel is bliss now. No more pain, no more suffering, no more you.” Adora trailed off while finishing that sentence, and she walked gracefully next to Horde Prime. He set one of his massive hands onto her shoulder, and a look of pride overtook his features. 

Catra couldn’t tell if he was proud of Adora or himself at that moment.

“By my calculations, you two have a lot to catch up on. It has been so long since you have had a chance to fully reconnect recently, hasn’t it little sister?” Horde Prime said, acknowledging only Adora in that moment, and the way he spoke to her made Catra feel sick.

“Yes, of course my Lord,” Adora responded, with a look of utter devotion on her face. If it weren’t for the green eyes this probably would’ve been the most painful thing Catra ever had to witness, but she had a feeling this wasn’t really Adora. 

  
Horde Prime left that room, his minions following closely behind him. Catra watched him leave, closely following every single one of his movements, and right as she was turning back around after the door had closed behind him she was sucker punched right in the jaw.

“What the hell, Adora?” Catra exclaimed, and when she finally was able to set her eyes onto Adora it was hard to miss the absolute glee held upon her face. 

“We’re catching up Catra,” Adora said simply, “When have any of our dealings in the last few years not involved some sort of punches, kicks, and heartbreaks.”

“That was the past, Adora, it doesn't need to be that way anymore.”

Adora let out a humorless chuckle, and Catra was so getting tired of hearing that sound come from her. There wasn’t much more Catra could honestly take, and they really need to leave now.

Catra’s only response was another punch to the gut. It hurt like hell, but most of this exchange was causing her some form of pain. It was a real eye opener to how Adora must have felt these last few years. Looking back on most of their exchanges, Catra couldn’t really remember being hurt by Adora all that much, and Catra knew that Adora could really make somebody feel pain if she felt like they deserved it. 

“Adora, let me take you home, let me take you away from here!” Catra yelled, and again her only answer was a chuckle, but much more loud this time. There was more pain held within that one laugh than all the others of the past few years.

“What home Catra? The one where everybody despises me now? Where I have nobody to go back too? At least here, I feel needed, I feel wanted, I feel loved. Even if I went with you, I would be branded a traitor and killed,” Adora explained, and it was the first time Catra really got a glimpse into Adora’s psyche. 

They had fought so many times over the last few years, and while Catra had felt it necessary to protect innocents, Adora had felt it necessary to be seen. Whether it be by Shadow Weaver, Lord Hordak, or even maybe just by Catra herself. Adora only wanted to be seen. From the scars that now littered her body, Catra was expecting that wasn’t the attention that Adora was looking for. Catra may have just been a domino in Adora’s fall, but she was for sure the first one knocked over, taking all the other ones with her. 

“I was hoping that setting Glimmer free could at least let me choose my own death. I’m so tired Catra, I just want it to be over wi-” for a second there Catra thought that she had seen Adora’s eye color, but she stopped talking mid-sentence and closed her eyes. When she opened them back up, they were that gastly green again, and Adora came back in throwing more punches. This fight was much different then ones they have had in the past. 

When Catra got tired of being a punching bag, which was extremely quick, she ended up pushing Adora back into the screen, and Adora closed her eyes in pain. Adora quickly collapsed into Catra, her face being engulfed by the area between Catras jaw and neck, and when Catra looked on the back of Adora’s neck she noticed a chip. It was sparking, and the green light it was emitting was flashing.

Catra felt the deep breaths that Adora was taking, in and out, and when Adora looked back up, her eyes were the color that Catra had grown up with. Seeing the scars that littered her face still broke Catra’s heart, and she would forever berate herself for doing such a thing, but at least Adora’s eyes were back to normal.

“Catra…” Adora practically wheezed out, and felt almost with a thud. 

“Catra… why’d you come for me? You know I don’t matter! No matter what I do, I always leave it worse than I left it, and once everybody else figures that out they’ll just leave me too… you should’ve just gone back to your family.” The heartbroken tone that was used by Adora broke Catra’s heart too, and it caused her to lift up Adora and place her face back into her neck, almost suffocating the girl.

“You’re my family too…” Catra whispered, but was interrupted by a quiet shiver expressed by Adora, and before Catra knew it Adora was back on her feet, eyes green, and slowly walking backwards towards the edge of the platform they were standing on.

“Promise?” Adora exclaimed, her eyes switching between grey and green.

“Yes, of course I promise Adora!” Catra responded.

Another humorless chuckle…

But this one wasn’t Adora’s voice. No this was something much worse. It reminded Catra very much of Horde Prime, and there was a sinister glint held in her eyes.

“Too sad it’s too late, but keeping promises has never been your strong suit, has it Catra?” Horde Prime said using Adora’s body.

Catra ran to the edge and caught Adora’s wrist before she could fall. She let out a calming breathe, trying to get her emotions in check.

What she wasn’t expecting was for Adora to yank her wrist away from Catra’s grasp, and to fall the long distance down. 

Catra felt the air leave her lungs all too quickly, and that was when she noticed that she was screaming. Doing something she hasn’t been very good at in the last few years, she jumped down, following Adora into black pit.

\------

When Catra finally landed, she felt her pain travel up her legs and settle there, but she had always been able to fall from great heights and land on her feet, She-ra or not.

She looked over to where Adora was laying, her body looking broken, almost irreparable. She moved quickly to Adora’s side, and checked her pulse. It was weak, but it was still there. 

Catra felt utterly useless in this moment. She no longer had She-ra’s healing ability, and she had almost no way of getting the two of them back to the ship. While she was trying to figure out what her next move was, she was pushed away from Adora. When she looked back up, Horde Prime, the real Horde Prime, was looking down at her.

“We can heal her, young feline, why don’t you leave her here with us?” he said.

A cold rage over took Catra’s body. Catra had done enough leaving, especially where Adora was involved, it was about time that she started keeping her promises. It was like something clicked within her, a power she hadn’t felt in quite some time.

“For the Honor of Grayskull!”

The transformation had changed though. It started with Glimmer’s wings on her boots, Bows heart on her chest, Angella’s wings on her back plate, and last but not least Adora’s shoulder pads. While she didn’t need a weapon, she now held a spear, much like the one Adora used.

When she had finally changed, she lifted up Adora into her arms, and pushed the spear into the ground. The aftermath was Horde Prime and his clones being thrown back.

With one last glance to Horde Prime, she said a quick “You miscalculated” and started towards the door.

With little time to spare, Catra ran for it. She was hoping to make it back before being found, but she never had the best luck. It was increasingly hard to fight with Adora taking up one of her arms, but she continued on. She was on her way to the hangar when she saw Mara’s ship, the ship that was supposed to be Adora’s, unceremoniously crashed in the hallway, with Glimmer and Bow fighting off Horde Prime’s clones. Catra walked by, Adora still in her arms, and using the spear to hit clones on her way.

Catra heard Bow whisper “She-ra is back” to Glimmer, but Catra had other things on her mind. She ran into the ship, Bow and Glimmer following behind her, and told Entrapta to get Darla moving away from here when she passed her on the ship. She laid Adora down on the floor of the bridge, and ended up holding her.

If she were to look behind her, she would’ve noticed a look passing between Bow and Sparkles, but again, she had other things on her mind.

She was trying to channel her healing powers, but she was surprised when the golden light she was expecting only surrounded Adora herself, and she noticed the way that Adora’s body slowly worked on fixing itself. 

With Catra still holding onto Adora, Adora opened her eyes, and Catra was more than happy to see that there was no longer any green held within those grey depths. 

“Hey Catra…” Adora whispered, and with a content sigh, fell back asleep. Her words no longer rang with the malous that they had in years past, or the pain they had just about an hour ago, no they were spoken with a soft lilt to them.

Catra lifted Adora tighter into her arms, and for the first time in years was able to just hold the girl that she grew up with, and the women she loved in her arms again.

They still had a war to fight, but Catra’s family was finally all back with her.

It was time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the best at descriptions, especially with hair and stuff, so if you're wondering what Adora's hair looks like picture Natalie Dormer's character in the Hunger Games movies. Also she's a little beat up, and the angst doesn't end here. I mean, it's catradora were talking about.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!!! The Magicatra AU interested me and I decided I wanted to make my own story out of it!!! Hopefully this was interesting enough!!


End file.
